Ah, Who Are You Again?
by Wake Me Up When It's All Over
Summary: Three years have passed and Shion is the successful leader of No. 6, which has prospered since Elyurias's disappearance. One day, Nezumi returns. The long-awaited reunion had arrived, but do they still know each other? ABANDONED
1. Chapter 1

**Before I begin (or you could skip this and go straight for the story, that's cool, not like that'd hurt my feelings or anything) I wanted to say I just finished a chapter story! My first completed story that wasn't a one-shot! It was a pretty messed-up plot line, but I'm still happy. Okay, enjoy!**

We stared at each other for a bit. To be honest, I hadn't expected Nezumi to come back. _Should I be happy? Relieved? Annoyed..? But why annoyed?_ "You're back," I said finally. He flinched at my monotone, but nodded. I smiled, realizing he was nervous about how my position as 'leader' may have changed me. The thought struck me as amusing, but from his expression, it seemed my smile came off as a smirk.

I couldn't really just explain myself to him out of the blue, though. So I said, "Come on in." He did so. He sat on the couch and I sat on the chair opposite. He was silent for a while though, so I started thinking about work. It had been three years since he left, and it was a habit by now. However, he began to speak.

"How have you been?" I looked up, startled. "Working," I replied automatically. It was a topic I enjoyed, so I continued, "actually, everything has been progressing well. The citizens are learning to cope with the unexpected changes - things have been settling in the past few years. The city is prospering too."

"That's good," he commented. "That's not what I wanted to know, though. How are you?" I blinked, and thought about it. "I have been alright," I said. _To be honest, I hadn't slept well the first year,_ I mused, _because I was lonely, but I had taken pills and gotten over it. I got sick frequently as well, but that was because of work, something I couldn't abandon at any cost._ I was healthy at the moment though...

His gaze sharpened. "You're lying, aren't you?" _Ah... he can still sense those sorts of things, it seems._ "I am," I said with a smile. "I - missed you." I sighed inwardly. He had heard how I faltered while speaking, and that could only make him more suspicious. Surely Nezumi - "Is that all?" he said, suddenly smirking.

My chest hurt. He hadn't noticed my slip. Which should have made me happy... but I guess I had really wanted him to notice me. He was talking now, about what I couldn't focus on, and I remembered work. "I need to go," I interrupted him. He looked at me, confused, and probably irritated now. "Why?"

 _Because I feel more alone than ever with you._ "I have paperwork," I informed him. He didn't say anything as I left. He wasn't the Nezumi I remembered. Before, didn't Nezumi act... I drew a blank. What was Nezumi like before? When I had missed him, I had missed his presence. But his presence right now... It felt wrong. Different.

 _Then again,_ I thought, _he probably feels the same about me. But weren't we supposed to be with each other? Didn't I promise to wait for him?_ I felt a faint heat in my cheeks. _What the hell was I thinking?_ I stopped in the hallway. My apartment was above the office building, so it wasn't a long walk. For the first time, I regretted that.

I haven't felt this way in a while. I dug in my bag, and as I continued walking, I swallowed a few pills. They worked quickly. By the time I reach my office, the storm of thoughts and emotions had disappeared.


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm home," I said as I walked into my apartment. "Welcome back." I stopped as I heard Nezumi's voice come from the living room. I had forgotten he was here - the habit of saying 'I'm home' to the empty apartment was one I'd built up to deal with the emptiness. "What do you want for dinner?" I asked, moving forward again. Nezumi turned to look at me. "What can you make?"

He sounded genuinely curious, so I thought about it for a moment. Finally I answered, "I can make a lot of things, but... I don't have any alcohol here." This drew his attention, and I wondered if I shouldn't have said that. "So what _do_ you have to drink?" That was easy to answer, "Mostly water." He didn't reply for a while. I began to think he'd fallen asleep, but then he said, "Make whatever then, I don't care."

"Okay." I pulled out some vegetables and beef. _Stew should be fine. It's easy to make anyway._ I reached into the drawer for a knife and discovered there weren't any clean ones left. Resigned, I glanced at the sink. It wasn't full, exactly... But it was neglected. I dug through it until I found a knife and washed it -

I swore quietly as I cut myself on the knife. "You okay?" I watched the blood turn the soap pink for a bit before, "Yes. I'm fine." I finished up, then proceeded to make the soup. It took a few hours, but I was reasonably pleased with how it turned out. I dug out some bread and prepared two plates.

Nezumi looked bored when I came out with them. "I'm sorry I took a while," I told him as I handed him his meal. He looked at me. "Why are you sorry? It's not like you were in a rush or anything." There wasn't anything I could think of to reply to that, so I shrugged and began to eat. "You should bandage that," he added. I ignored it.

When my plate was clean I started to walk back. Abruptly, Nezumi said, "Your hair is longer." I nodded. "It is," I agreed, beginning to wash the dishes. I shouldn't have left them alone for so long. "You stopped cutting it?" His words sparked amusement in me as I recalled the reason I let my hair grow out.

"Mm, apparently it made me look cooler. Females began to support me more - which can be useful, especially with how many government workers are still corrupt." Nezumi asking questions, so once I was done I checked on him. If he was asleep, I would have to be quiet. But he was awake.

 _And he looks sad? Why does he look sad?_ "You've changed," he murmured, staring at me. _Ah. That's why he looks sad._ "So have you," I replied. Without waiting for him to respond I turned and entered my room, locking the door behind me.

My chest hurts. Tears are beginning to leak out of my eyes. My eyes are burning. I pulled my hair out of the tight ponytail and let it cascade around my shoulders. It was longer than his now. His were only shoulder-length.

Like back then.

I swallowed a few more pills and lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling.

 **Hello! I'm kind of enjoying this. It's paced a bit slower than my last Shion/Nezumi story, and I'm happy about that. Although maybe I shouldn't be happy about that. *...* I haven't been able to write for a while, so I'm actually really having fun right now.**


	3. Chapter 3

I opened my eyes. _What time is it?_ I wondered blearily. I turned my head to see it was 10 already. I swore silently as I slowly got out of bed. I couldn't remember the last time I was late. Why did I wake up late today? The answer revealed itself when I opened the door. "Good morning," Nezumi said.

 _Ah, that's right,_ I thought. _It's his fault. Oh... I forgot to complete the report yesterday. I finished everything else though. He'll will be mad. He's used to me being punctual and perfect. Which is good. No more mistakes._ I blinked, pulling myself into reality. "Good morning," I replied. "Are you cooking?"

He nodded, flipping the bacon as I watched. "I'm late," I told him as I watched. "I should have been at the office by 7, so I need to go." I thought I heard him say something, but I ignored it, preparing myself for the day ahead. The routine was so instinctive that I'd forgotten about Nezumi until he said sharply, "What are those?"

I had opened the cabinet where I stored my pills. "My pills," I answered, grabbing several bottles and dropping them into my bag. I wondered if he disapproved. That was confirmed when he grabbed my arm, preventing me from swallowing a few. "You need this many?" He sounded angry.

"Yes." I was suddenly glad my hair was still down. He couldn't see my face, and I couldn't see his. He let his grip loosen, and I hurriedly swallowed them before he could stop me again. "How long have you needed those?" he asked, his voice still tense. "For as long as I can remember," I replied.

I glanced at my watch. "Good-bye." I headed towards the door. "See you later," Nezumi said. The thought he might still be here when I returned made me happy, though the feeling was dulled by the drugs. _But how long is he going to stay?_ I contemplated that thought, and resolved to ask him about it later.

"Good morning," one of my coworkers greeted me. "You're late! Everyone was worried!" I smiled and thanked them, but quickly hurried on. I focused on my work, shame burning in me for my mistake.

 _Why couldn't he stay away? What a workaholic. They say he's been waiting for some street rat to return. No, really?! How does someone like that manage to lead this city? I bet he'll break down soon. That would benefit us a lot. Someone like him doesn't deserve his position. Just die already._

I closed my eyes briefly, stilling my hands. I had to hold back. Usually I don't take this much, but ever since Nezumi returned I've become more agitated than usual. I inhaled and opened my eyes, returning to work. It wasn't silent - everyone chattered a little, giving the room a false air of comfort and familiarity.

Instead the sound was stifling, the smiles and greetings and lies sickening. I couldn't help it. I swallowed a few more pills. _I can't do this after all. When did I start taking these, anyway? I can't live without them anymore._

 **I don't have a clue how this sort of medication works, so this is entirely fictional, 'kay? Just saying. I know this is slow-going, but anyone who's waiting for this couple to have some tragedies won't be disappointed in the end.**


	4. Chapter 4

"This is too many." I looked up as I put my bag down. Nezumi was standing next to the cabinet. I smiled, feigning ignorance. "I suppose so, but it's better than alcohol, right?" He narrowed his eyes, saying, "No... this is worse. Besides, why would you need any kind of drugs?" Sighing, I leaned back.

He was being irritating. "At first I had trouble sleeping," I snapped. "Then I had trouble coping with work. Then I became depressed. You took so long, Nezumi. Alcohol doesn't mix well with these drugs, and my tolerance is low, so I have none." I shoved him out of the way. "Move. I ran out of them at work."

Nezumi, predictably, blocked me again. I glared. "Stop this," he said. I ignored him, trying to reach the bottles. "Shion, stop. Listen to me, this isn't healthy!" I closed my eyes, breathing deeply. Trying to calm down. I needed to calm down... "Nezumi, please," I whispered, "I need them right now."

He stared down at me, looking grief-stricken. I lunged, and swallowed a few pills. My breathing slowed down as I looked at him. "How long are you staying?" I asked. The change in me wasn't something he liked to see, that much was clear, but I ignored him. Finally he replied, "As long as... you'll let me." I nodded. That was good. "Then don't leave me." He blinked. It was clear he hadn't expected that.

I have been waiting for him for so long, and he's finally here. I'm happy, and no longer uncertain. "Don't leave me," I repeated, "and deal with who I've become..." I pulled the rubber-band out of my hair and let it fall around me. "Help me change, okay?" I measured his reaction carefully before remarking, "Starting now."

Reaching around him, I held up one of the many bottles. "That's to... deal with insomnia," he said warily. I beamed. "That's right! You're smart - I only knew that once the doctor told me. Oh, so you're going to help me quit."

"Quit?" _He can be so dense sometimes_. I held up ten fingers. "In reality, I have ten types of medicine. Will you help me get over them?" He stared for a moment, then laughed. "Sure - it seems you can't do anything on your own still."

I smiled. _This arrogant man._

 **Just to clarify, he has a variety of each medicine (like different ones for sleeping, or for dealing with depression) but overall it's ten. His cabinet really is full to the brim, though... But not for the reasons you might think.**


	5. Chapter 5

I panted slightly. I was probably going to die, eventually, from all of this... I laughed as I recalled what I had told Nezumi. It had been a lie, of course. It wasn't his fault I was so addicted. Three years... It doesn't sound that long, but really, a lot happens.

"Requiem," I murmured to myself. It was a word I learned a while ago... Perhaps half a year after Nezumi had left. _After Nezumi had left_ \- a phrase that seemed to be tacked onto all my sentences. I no longer loved him...

 _Do I hate him? Or fear him?_

 _No,_ I decided. But my feelings remained a tangled mess to me, haunting me until I fell into an uneasy sleep.

 _"Shion! Shion!" Inukashi... His face blurred into view above me. He was crying. "Don't die! You can't die! Everyone needs you! And when Nezumi comes back! Shion, don't die!" I laughed weakly. Somewhere in me I felt my lungs ache, but everything hurt now. "You can't just... expect me to not die," I said._

 _He looked desperate. White ceiling... White walls... Muffled voices and sounds in the background... "Please live, Shion!" he sobbed again. His hair was falling on my face. Dark as it was, it almost reminded me of that restless rat's hair. Almost..._

 _"You won't die," Inukashi repeated fiercely. A vague stirring of uneasiness grew in me. "Inu..." I began, but then someone_ _else was touching me, moving my body now, hands pulled Inukashi out of my sight. He was talking to someone else now._

 _I can't hear him. A prick in my arm. Morphine, I realize, and_ _then_

 _I_

 _feel_

 _nothing._

My eyes flew open, my body shuddering in the aftershocks of the nightmare. There was knocking at my door. "Shion? You okay in there?" I paused slightly, controlling my breathing, before replying, "Yeah. I'm good, I'll be out in a minute."

"It's 7," he added unnecessarily. I had a clock near my bed, wasn't it obvious I knew the time? "Thanks," I called out, already changing. I stared into the mirror for the first time in a while, contemplating my face with my hair down. _I look like a girl,_ I thought morosely. But that's what girls like, so there's little I'm going to do to change it.

As I emerged from my room I said, "Good-bye," as I pulled on my shoes. A quick peck on my cheek startled me. I blinked at Nezumi. He wasn't looking at me anymore though, so I shrugged and walked out.

 _Maybe I should have said 'good morning,'_ I mused. I'd forgotten most of what Nezumi did... I wondered what the difference was between the him then and the him now. _Hopefully there's too many to count,_ I realized. That would mean he's like me.

 **If it feels like the story has taken a different turn, it really has. I changed my mind - or rather, my mood changed. I'm bored, you see. And if you've noticed nothing, forget I said anything! Okay? Okay. Hope you enjoyed!**


	6. Chapter 6

**By the way, I just updated earlier today, so's this is more of a... scene that's floating around in my mind. Bear with me - leading up to something is frustrating. I don't want to go too fast, but going slowly is frustrating!**

"Medicinal documents. Hm... Are these his?" A hooded figure flipped through the papers, stopping at the last one. "...This is ripped in half. And not even hidden well." The person sighed, crossing the room to sit in a chair. Starting from the first document, he began to read aloud, skimming through the contents.

"Let's see... Recommendations for dealing with stress? I guess that's reasonable... monitoring mood swings... sleep schedule... Even supplements. Huh. Seems they did their research on humans..." The person paused for a moment, then continued, "What is this? Most of these are just comments and a few suggestions... Though there _are_ a lot of them... From various doctors, no less..."

Suddenly the person stood, staring intently at the torn page. "Hang on, the prescriptions increase here. How long ago was this? I can't... It looks to be about a year ago? Man, how many painkillers are listed here? Ah, of course," the person said, chuckling grimly, "no wonder it was this one that was ripped. Did he burn it or hide it?"

The sound of footsteps prompted the figure to place the papers back into the drawer, hastily exiting the room. But not quickly enough. "Who are you?" the white-haired boy asked, his voice hardening. The figure didn't answer, darting towards the window. "Answer me!" Shion snapped, tossing a small knife towards the figure.

"Ah," he said, realizing his mistake as the glass shattered. _Shoot,_ he thought disappointedly as the person vanished. _Hey,_ he wondered idly, _where is Nezumi?_ The door opened behind him. "Where were you?" he asked the man, turning. He ducked the hand that flew at him from the side, taking a few steps back.

 _Not Nezumi,_ he thought sadly. _Who is this? Why is he - oh, here's only one reason a strange man would enter my apartment with hostile intentions._ Shion sidestepped another blow. _Wait... well, there are two, but either is fairly bad._ He skipped backwards, dancing out of range of the blade the man pulled out. _Or is it three?_

Shion held back from laughing. _You know life is bad when you can't keep track of why people hate you._ "Who are you?" he tried as he ducked another punch. The man grunted, unceasing. _Well, I tried,_ he thought idly as he palmed the knife he threw earlier. He swung the blade towards that vein pulsing in his neck...

 _Ah,_ he realized, slamming the hilt into the man's jaw, _bad habit._


	7. Chapter 7

"Nezumi! Hello!" I grinned at the rat as he stared. "Okay," he said finally, "I'm just gonna ask you straight up." Leaning over me where I lay on the couch, he smiled. " _Why is there a man tied up in your living room?_ " I smiled back, but with considerably less irritation. "Because he tried to kill me," I replied cheerfully.

Nezumi kept smiling, but I knew he was... Actually, I wasn't really sure how he felt. But probably not happy. "How are you planning to deal with him?" he asked finally. I hesitated. "I was planning to interrogate him," I admitted, "but I wasn't sure how to go about that... so I figured I could let it go?"

"Then why is he tied up in your living room?" _Because a corpse puts a downer on things,_ I wanted to say. Instead I replied, "I was worried about the others." Nezumi smirked. "Thinking ahead?" His tone was patronizing. I worked to keep the impatience out of my voice. "Yes. Most people who intend to kill me don't try to do so alone. Plus, his blade was poisoned. I planned to have the substance examined."

He looked worried. "Did the blade wound you at all? Did you treat it?" I blinked. _Wouldn't it be funny to see how he reacted if I said 'I knew I forgot something'? Ah, no, this isn't the time for that._ Smiling as reassuringly as I could, I began, "No, it's nothing fatal-" Nezumi narrowed his eyes.

"You're lying." His tone was flat. _Darn._ Dismissively I said, "There aren't any symptoms yet, aside from unnatural fatigue. Everything else is normal. As soon as I receive the results I will know." The gears seemed to turn in Nezumi's head.

He understood very quickly, as I thought he would - as I knew he would. Before he could say anything I added, "Just to make sure the results are accurate, I had everyone I trust examine this poison." He nodded, and then I saw his gaze catch onto the cabinet. I prayed he wouldn't ask why.

 _Please don't ask, please don't ask, please don't_ \- "Why is there a lock on your cabinet?" - _...crap_. "They don't mix well with the painkiller I am currently taking for the minor injuries I received." Too flat, too formal, but that was the best I could come up with. "Unfortunately, my cravings required such a deterrent."

"Oh," was all he said. I had the feeling he would come back to it later, but I ignored it for now. t least he wasn't pursuing it for now. I switched topics, "Nezumi, it will be swift and doesn't really require much attention. Really, don't worry. Besides, I have a day off today. Would you like to do something today?"

He blinked. "The leader of No. 6 has a day off?" he said skeptically. "I'm injured," I said with a shrug. "Disguises are simple, so as long as we don't do anything to draw attention, we can catch up with each other. You know what I've been doing, but I'm curious about you." He looked hesitant.

Oh man, now I _really_ wanted to know what he's been up to.

 **Okay, I did my best, but I hate writing this kind of plot. Even though I wrote it. Just now. About the 'assassination investigation,' I don't really want to concentrate on it, so figure it out yourself. Ciao!**


	8. Chapter 8

Suddenly I began coughing. "Shion?" I waved weakly at him, forcing the coughs down. "I haven't gotten sick in a while," I mused aloud. "This substance in my body probably isn't helping..." I smiled. "But back to the topic at hand - what do you want to do?" He thought about it.

"I want to watch you sleep." My reaction was delayed. "...I'm sorry, what?" He smirked. If I had registered that any sooner, I'd be blushing. "You seem to have become a workaholic ever since I left. You probably need the sleep."

As much as I wanted to protest... my body, especially my head, hurt a lot right now, it didn't help I'd had to cut down on the pills a bit, as well as what had happened last night. "Okay," I agreed.

I didn't really want to sleep. Too many memories that turn into nightmares. But maybe... maybe just this once, it wouldn't hurt. I prayed it wouldn't. The last thing he needed was for Nezumi to get suspicious.

 _Unless he already was... That'd just be my luck._

 **Warning! I will be working on an alternate storyline for a little bit. So... Uh... I'll be taking a while, 'kay?**


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